Debate teamwins first-ever bid to elite round-robin

September 13, 2012

Even before the season has started, ESU Debate has accomplished another feat it never has before. The team of Ryan Wash and Matt Casas have been invited to compete in the Kentucky Thoroughbred Round Robin, an honor reserved for the pre-season top 9 teams in the country. This is the 41st year of the round-robin’s existence and the first time Emporia State University has ever received a bid.

“This is the tippy-top of competitive collegiate debate,” explained Samuel Maurer, Director of Debate at Emporia State University. “I could not be more proud of our students.”

The following 2-person undergraduate debate teams will be competing October 2nd – 6th in Lexington, Kentucky:

Dartmouth- Elias and Resar

Emporia State- Wash and Casas

Georgetown- Arsht and Markoff

Kentucky- Grasse and Strong

Mary Washington- McCleary and McElhinny

Michigan- Allen and Pappas

Michigan State- Ramesh and Hebert

Northwestern- Lee and Vellayappan

West Georgia- Davis and Feliciano

“We’re very excited about the chance to get great match-ups against some of the top teams in the country,” explained Maurer. “We’re honored to go but it does not stop there – we want to win. So our goals are not to give a good showing, we want to elevate the name of our university above our competitors at this tournament.”

Each season in August, tournament administrators and assistant coaches from the University of Kentucky analyze data to determine who are the best 9 teams in the country. Thus, ESU is beginning the season with a top-10 debate team.

“It is a terrific compliment to be considered a pre-season top-9 team but the season has not even started yet,” cautioned Maurer. “Just because we are ranked in the top 9 doesn’t mean anything will be given to us, we’re going to have to work for it. And work we shall.”